Prefabricated and transportable basins or pools

ABSTRACT

A swimming pool comprises waterproof bottom and sidewall liners whose lower edges have a waterproof seal. A sidewall extends about, and adjacent, the bottom liner to support the sidewall liner. The sidewall includes a vertical corrugated wall portion whose U-shaped sections are deep enough to enable this wall portion to stand unsupported, and alternating connecting wall parts of these sections are wide enough to form a planar supporting contact for the sidewall liner. The upper and lower edges of the corrugated wall portion are held respectively in upper and lower channellike horizontally extending support members, and the lower support member has an inwardly extending ledge for supporting the bottom liner.

United States Patent Viessmann [54] PREFABRICATED AND TRANSPORTABLE BASINS OR POOLS [72] inventor: Hans Viessmann, Battenberg/Eder, lm

Hain, Germany [22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1970 [2|] Appl. No.: 17,850

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 5, 1969 Germany 69 30 8798 Mar. 13, 1969 Germany ..'.P 19 12 683.1

[52] U.S. Cl ..4/172.19 [51] Int. Cl .E04h 3/16, E04h 3/18 [58] Field of Seareh ..4/172, 172.19; 52/630 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,225,362 12/1965 Barrera. ..4/172. 19 3,233,251 2/1966 Barrera 4/172. 19 3,280,408 10/ 1 966 Gershman.. 4/172.19 3,416,165 12/1968 Pereira 4/l72.19 3,522,614 8/1970 Gould ..4/172.19

IIIIIIII/IIl/I/III.

[ Feb. 15,1972

Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorneyl(urt Kelman [5 7] ABSTRACT A swimming pool comprises waterproof bottom and sidewall liners whose lower edges have a waterproof seal. A sidewall extends about, and adjacent, the bottom liner to support the sidewall liner. The sidewall includes a vertical corrugated wall portion whose U-shaped sections are deep enough to enable this wall portion to stand unsupported, and alternating connecting wall parts of these sections are wide enough to form a planar supporting contact for the sidewall liner. The upper and lower edges of the corrugated wall portion are held respectively in upper and lower channellike horizontally extending support members, and the lower support member has an inwardly extending ledge for supporting the bottom liner.

13 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmusmn 3.641.595

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PREFABRICATED AND TRANSPORTABLE BASINS OR POOLS This invention concerns improvements in or relating to transportable swimming pools or basins for the storage of liquids, and which consist of walls which can be assembled to form a basin or pool, such walls being covered on the side facing the water with a synthetic resin sheet liner. Hereafter reference will be made to swimming pools, without thereby limiting the use of such basins or pools necessarily to swimming.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pool whose sidewall is self-supporting, which can readily be assembled and which has supporting and sealing materials so arranged that a synthetic resin material, such as glass fiber reinforced polyester resin, can advantageously be used for the liner.

According to the invention there is provided a prefabricated and transportable swimming pool comprising wall elements connectable together to form a pool, said wall elements consisting of sheets of corrosion resistant material such as aluminum, galvanized sheet iron, high-grade steel sheet or the like having vertically extending corrugations therein of substantially U-shaped cross section, the upper and lower edges of said wall elements being held respectively in upper and lower channellike support members, planar connecting wall parts of the wall elements which, in use, will face the water being in supporting contact with a waterproof sidewall liner of synthetic resin, such as glass fiber reinforced polyester resin, and the joints of said wall elements being sealed.

Such a pool construction has the advantage that wall elements can be made without heavy cost and from relatively thin metal sheets (sheet thickness about 1.25 mm). Not only is material economized thereby but also the assembly of the pool, as a whole, is facilitated. The wall elements can be manufactured in selected lengths and bolted together with screws at the place of assembly. Dependent upon the size, but even with larger pools of a pool length of about 15 m., the polyester resin liner can be supplied in a single piece so that a joint is formed merely at one place. This means that the polyester resin liner consists practically of a single piece. It does not have to be bolted or glued together from several pieces whereby much labor is saved and certainly the risk of leaky joints is reduced.

Further details will be described in more detail with reference to drawings of some embodiments by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. I is a vertical section through a sidewall section of the pool;

FIG. 1A is a vertical section through the wall connection of the footway;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the sidewall section according to FIG. 1 on line II-II;

FIG. 3 is a section through a bottom section of the pool;

FIG. 4 is a partial section through another embodiment of the upper edge of the pool;

FIG. 5 is a section through a footway on line V-V according to FIG. 1A;

FIG. 6 is a section of another embodiment of a socket section,

F is a section of a corner section;

F IG. 8 a section of a bottom section;

FIG. 9 is a section of a clamping section for the bottom section according to FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a section of a clamping section for the corner section according to FIG. 7; 7

FIG. I1 is a section through a sidewall section of a pool in a construction different from that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a section through .the .wall connection of the footway according to FIG. 11, and

FIG. 13 is horizontal section through a corner pool constructed ina particular manner.

The pool according to FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed substantially from wall elements I forming a sidewall whose horizontally extending upper and lower edges are respectively held in upper and lower channellike support members 2 and 3. A relatively thin synthetic resin liner, preferably of glass fiber reinforced polyester resin, is supported by the planar connecting wall parts 9 of the sidewall and a bottom liner 5 is supported on the pool bottom 6.

The wall elements 1 consist of U-shaped, corrugated sheet metal (see FIG. 2) of aluminum, galvanized sheet steel, highquality steel or the like. Wide U-shaped wall sections 7 preferably alternate with narrow U-shaped wall sections 8, and the wall elements I are so erected that the wider connecting wall parts 9 from supporting contact surfaces for the sidewall liner 5. The corrugations 8 may be for example about half the width of corrugations 7.

The thus-constructed wall elements 1 have a good static load capacity. The corrugations extend vertically and enable the synthetic resin sheet 4 to be relatively thin since this sheet is supported for its major part by the surfaces 9 of the wall elements 1.

For enclosing the wall elements I which are completely open at the top and bottom, for stiffening them in the longitudinal direction and finally also as an assembly aid, horizontally extending support members 2, 3 are provided, which at the same time can advantageously also assume further functions. Thus, for example, the member 3 can be provided with a flange 10 which is embedded in the pool foundation I1, and with an inwardly directed supporting ledge I2, by means of which an angle is formed, in which the sealing of the pool can be effected as will be described in more detail. After inserting the wall elements, the open spaces still remaining in the lower support member 3 can be filled with bitumen.

The upper support member 2 is so constructed that it forms at the same time a handrail or gripping ledge or receives a gripping ledge 13 and further has a support ledge I4 to receive foot path plates 15 adjacent the pool.

To obtain a continuous, downwardly extending, planar contact surface, the wall elements I can be provided with recesses into which the inner legs 17, 18 of the upper and lower support members 2, 3 fit. Such recesses which are formed in the wall elements during manufacture thereof, naturally contribute additionally to the stiffening of the wall elements I. The vertically extending legs 17, I8 may also have a tapered shape, as seen in cross section in FIG. I, the liner 4 in these regions closely contacting the wall elements 1 with a very small inclination.

Since for reasons of manufacture, assembly and transport, a watertight lining of the pool can only be produced in the form of strips or plates, the bottom and sidewall liners are not integral and are secured together in a special manner on the pool bottom and, if desired, in the pool corners.

According to FIG. 1, this is effected at the bottom corners by means of a channellike molding 19 which is wedged tight by screws 21, including the respective edges of the bottom and sidewall liners 4, 5 which are pressed against the ledge 12 and leg 17. The upper edge of the liner 4 is secured in position by a clamping strip 22 which is connected by screws to the upper support member 2.

The construction of the corners of the pool can be effected in various ways, i.e., both as regards the wall elements I, as well as regards the liners.

As far as the wall elements 1 are concerned, they can simply and-suitably be bent round the corners (FIG. 13), whereby a wall element butt joint is formed in the region of one sidewall, or the wall elements will then in fact fomi only one sidewall of the pool in each case and will be interconnected at the corners of the pool approximately in the manner of the bottom edge as shown in FIG. 1. If a wall element 1 is intended to contain also a pool corner, a corrugation 55 is spread out as shown in FIG. 13 so that the continuation of the wall element, seen as a whole, continues to follow a rectangular path. The next wall element would then follow at 56.

The bottom and corner angles of the pool are constructed, according to FIG. 1 as follows:

The edges of the liner 4 are pushed into corresponding recesses 23 and glued watertight with an adhesive tape 20. Channellike molding l9 rests on the adhesive tape 20 and is fastened with several screws. After tightening molding 19. it is covered with a corresponding cover element 24 of rubber or synthetic resin.

The covering and sealing of the joints between adjacent edges of sections of liners 4, in the sidewall and bottom regions of the pool are effected in a similar manner, reference being made, for a better understanding, particularly to the bottom surface joints shown in FIG. 3, since-as a rule-the sidewall liner sheets 4 can always be so cut that the ends of the sheets will come to lie in the angles already described.

A bar 26 is inserted in the load-bearing insulating plate 25, upon which bar the edges of the bottom liner sheet 5 are placed and glued in a watertight manner with an adhesive tape 20. Above this connection a planar cover bar 27similar to bar 19 and adapted to the bottom surface-is placed. This bar 27 is tightened with screw 28 against the bar 26 and covered with a covering element 29 of rubber or synthetic resin, whereby an absolutely watertight connection of the edges of the bottom liner 5 is ensured, which can also readily and without difficulties be repaired or renewed.

In place of the synthetic resin handrail 13 according to FIG. 1, a handrail 13 of high-grade steel or the like can be provided as in FIG. 4 with a corresponding construction of the upper support member 2, which fits over the upper edge of the liner 4.

The footpath plates which can be placed on the support ledge 14 or 14 (FIGS. 1 and 4) of the support members 2 and 2' respectively are also made (see FIG. 5) from a corrugated metal section 30 and an outer synthetic resin sheet 31, the inner spaces being filled with a hard foam 32. Between the plates 15, gaps 33 are left open in order to ensure suitable ventilation of the pool which is arranged in an excavation but is substantially free-standing. Each plate 15 will thus be supported on one side on the ledges 14 and 14 and on the other side on a support 40 of the adjacent structures of the pool excavation or the like.

Since all the components of the pool are in a manner of speaking only loosely associated with one another, simple assembly, repair and exchange of parts is ensured.

Dependent on the size of the pool, the wall elements 1 and also the liners 4, 5 can be constructed in one piece or in several pieces; the multiple piece construction can, however, be reduced to a minimum since liners can be manufactured without difficulty in lengths of up to 15 m. and can be transported in large rolls.

The arrangement of adhesive tapes as waterproof seal has the first advantage that the assembly operation is not retarded by the gluing operation since immediately after applying the adhesive tapes the angle and cover bars are inserted, with which the necessary bearing pressure can at once be produced.

The sealing of the joints of the sidewall and bottom liners can be effected in an even simpler manner, which is advantageous especially for smaller pools. With a suitable construction of the lower support member 3', for example as in FIG. 6, special cover elements can be dispensed with. Fundamentally the member 3' has the same cross section as that according to FIG. 1 with the difference that here a concave fillet or chambered portion 16 which is undercut with grooves 23', fills the angle. The adhesive strip 34 is not stuck to the surface of the fillet but by means of sufiiciently broad edges 35 only to the adjacent edges of the wall and bottom liners 4, 5. The reason for this is that although aluminum and plastics have approximately the same behavior on expansion, certain displacements of the individual structural members must nevertheless be expected. Due to the fact that the center part of the adhesivc tape is not fixed in position by being glued to the surface of the fillet, such movement can be taken up by the adhesive tape without tearing it. The same also applies to the vertical comer angles, in which a fillet section 36 according to FIG. 7 is inserted, the adhesive tape being likewise only stuck by its edges 33 to the adjacent edges of the liner sheets 4. The section 36 itself is bolted by screws 37 to the corner support (not shown).

When required it is naturally possible to provide these angle section with correspondingly shaped clamping sections 39 of high-grade steel according to FIG. 10 over the flanged edges 39 of which synthetic resin covering element 24 can be pulled in the manner ofFIG. l.

A connection of the bottom joints can likewise be effected with merely a simple aluminum section 41 according to FIG. 8, said section being covered by an adhesive tape 34, the edges 35 of which are again only stuck to the bottom liner 5. Also these sections can, if desired, be provided with a clamping section 42 with flanged edges 43, over which a synthetic resin covering element is pulled in the manner of FIG. 3.

Suitable adhesive tapes for the seal here provided, which are watertight, resilient and sufficiently stable, are nowadays readily available on the market.

The embodiment of the pool according to FIGS. 11 and 12 corresponds substantially to that described with reference to FIG. I.

There are differences as regards the construction of the bars covering the sections and the sealing thereof, and as regards the upper edge of the pool. This embodiment is particularly advantageous.

The corner and bottom covering elements 44, 45 likewise consist of synthetic resin, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, and are provided with undercuts 46 in their edge regions so that into the grooves thus formed between these elements and the adjacent edges of the liners 4, a sealing compound 47, such as silicone rubber, can be introduced. The use of the above-described adhesive tapes 20 or 34 can naturally then be omitted. Silicone rubber sets within a short time but remains elastic and thus has a high shearing strength so that unavoidable movements of the connected structural members can be absorbed without difficulty by the sealing compound without leakage occurring. The same construction is also provided for the vertically extending bottom angles and joint edges of the liner 4, as is apparent inter alia also from FIG. 13. The recesses for the screwheads can also be filled with sealing compound 47.

For the purpose of easy assembly of the footpath plates 15, the construction of the upper edge of the pool can also differ from that according to FIGS. 1 and 4. According to FIG. 11 there is associated with the upper support member 48 a sealing element 49 of approximately triangular cross section, which is screwed to the section 48 only after the plates 15 are placed on the ledges 50, or the section 51 is applied to the wall (see FIG. 12).

After this assembly, a cover member 52 is stretched or pulled over the whole upper portion of the section 48 and also of the sealing element 49 bolted thereto, this cover member 52 being secured on one side to the lower edge 34 of the strip 22 and on the other side to the lower edge of the element 49, as shown. In order to prevent the release of the cover member 52 and to compensate for height differences between the plates 15 and the lower edge 52 of the cover member 52, a resilient bar 53 is inserted or pressed in. On the other side the plates 15 (see FIG. 12) are pressed from above by means of an angle section 54 against the section 51. Dependent on structural factors, this side of the plate 15 can be placed on a different support.

Iclaim:

1. A swimming pool comprising 1. a waterproof bottom liner;

2. a sidewall extending about, and adjacent, the bottom liner, the sidewall including a. a vertical corrugated wall portion consisting of successive, vertically extending U-shaped wall sections each having two legs and a wall part connecting the two legs, alternating ones of the U-shaped wall sections facing in opposite directions, the connecting wall parts of a first set of said wall sections being planar and wider than the connecting wall parts of a second set of the wall sections alternating with those of the first set, and the U- shaped wall sections being sufficiently deep to enable the vertical corrugated wall portion to stand unsupported,

. an upper and a lower channellike horizontally extending support member, the vertical corrugated wall portion having horizontally extending upper and lower edges respectively held in said support members, and the lower channellike support member having an inwardly extending horizontal ledge for supporting the bottom liner, and

c. a waterproof sidewall liner, the planar connecting wall parts of the vertical corrugated wall portion being in supporting contact with the side wall liner; and

3. waterproof sealing means between the waterproof bottom and side wall liners along the lower channellike support member.

2. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein each channellike support member has an inner and an outer vertically extending leg, the wider connecting wall parts of the corrugated wall portion having recesses for receiving the inner legs of the support members.

3. The swimming pool of claim I, wherein the waterproof sealing means includes a channellike molding extending over the edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, respectively.

4. The swimming pool of claim 3, further comprising a waterproof covering element mounted over the molding.

5. The swimming pool of claim l, wherein the bottom liner comprises a plurality of adjacent sections, and sealing means over adjacent edges of the bottom liner sections, said sealing means including a molding overlapping the adjacent edges.

6. The swimming pool of claim 5, further comprising a waterproof covering element mounted over the molding.

7. The swimming pool of claim 1, further comprising a handrail mounted on the upper support member, the handrail having an edge portion overlying an edge portion of the sidewall liner.

8. The swimming pool of claim 7, further comprising a strip interposed between the overlying edge portions of the hand rail and the side wall liner, the strip having one end bent horizontally to extend over the side wall liner edge portion and an opposite end bent obliquely inwardly to engage in a matching recess in the hand rail edge portion. and fastening elements for interconnecting the edge portions with the interposed strip. 7

9. The swimming pool of claim I, further comprising a support structure receiving the swimming pool and having a portion about, and spaced from, the sidewall, the upper support member having an outwardly extending horizontal ledge, and a foot path supported on the outwardly extending horizontal ledge and the support structure portion, respectively.

10. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the lower channellike support member defines grooves receiving the edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, respectively.

11. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the lower channellike support member has a chamfered portion extending between the edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, and the sealing means comprises a waterproof strip having a center portion in free contact with, and supported by, the chamfered portion and two lateral portions adhesively bonded to the bottom and side wall liner edges, respectively.

12. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the waterproof sealing means comprises a waterproof strip overlapping adjacent edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, respectively, the strip having undercut lateral edges, and a sealing compound in the recesses defined by the undercut lateral edges.

13. The swimming pool of claim 12, wherein the sealing compound is silicone rubber. 

1. A swimming pool comprising
 1. a waterproof bottom liner;
 2. a sidewall extending about, and adjacent, the bottom liner, the sidewall including a. a vertical corrugated wall portion consisting of successive, vertically extending U-shaped wall sections each having two legs and a wall part connecting the two legs, alternating ones of the U-shaped wall sections facing in opposite directions, the connecting wall parts of a first set of said wall sections being planar and wider than the connecting wall parts of a second set of the wall sections alternating with those of the first set, and the U-shaped wall sections being sufficiently deep to enable the vertical corrugated wall portion to stand unsupported, b. an upper and a lower channellike horizontally extending support member, the vertical corrugated wall portion having horizontally extending upper and lower edges respectively held in said support members, and the lower channellike support member having an inwardly extending horizontal ledge for supporting the bottom liner, and c. a waterproof sidewall liner, the planar connecting wall parts of the vertical corrugated wall portion being in supporting contact with the side wall liner; and
 3. waterproof sealing means between the waterproof bottom and side wall liners along the lower channellike support member.
 2. a sidewall extending about, and adjacent, the bottom liner, the sidewall including a. a vertical corrugated wall portion consisting of successive, vertically extending U-shaped wall sections each having two legs and a wall part connecting the two legs, alternating ones of the U-shaped wall sections facing in opposite directions, the connecting wall parts of a first set of said wall sections being planar and wider than the connecting wall parts of a second set of the wall sections alternating with those of the first set, and the U-shaped wall sections being sufficiently deep to enable the vertical corrugated wall portion to stand unsupported, b. an upper and a lower channellike horizontally extending support member, the vertical corrugated wall portion having horizontally extending upper and lower edges respectively held in said support members, and the lower channellike support member having an inwardly extending horizontal ledge for supporting the bottom liner, and c. a waterproof sidewall liner, the planar connecting wall parts of the vertical corrugated wall portion being in supporting contact with the side wall liner; and
 2. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein each channellike support member has an inner and an outer vertically extending leg, the wider connecting wall parts of the corrugated wall portion having recesses for receiving the inner legs of the support members.
 3. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the waterproof sealing means includes a channellike molding extending over the edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, respectively.
 3. waterproof sealing means between the waterproof bottom and side wall liners along the lower channellike support member.
 4. The swimming pool of claim 3, further comprising a waterproof covering element mounted over the molding.
 5. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the bottom liner comprises a plurality of adjacent sections, and sealing means over adjacent edges of the bottom liner sections, said sealing means including a molding overlapping the adjacent edges.
 6. The swimming pool of claim 5, further comprising a waterproof covering element mounted over the molding.
 7. The swimming pool of claim 1, further comprising a handrail mounted on the upper support member, the handrail having an edge portion overlying an edge portion of the sidewall liner.
 8. The swimming pool of claim 7, further comprising a strip interposed between the overlying edge portions of the hand rail and the side wall liner, the strip having one end bent horizontally to extend over the side wall liner edge portion and an opposite end bent obliquely inwardly to engage in a matching recess in the hand rail edge portion, and fastening elements for interconnecting the edge portions with the interposed strip.
 9. The swimming pool of claim 1, further comprising a support structure receiving the swimming pool and having a portion about, and spaced from, the sidewall, the upper support member having an outwardly extending horizontal ledge, and a foot path supported on the outwardly extending horizontal ledge and the support structure portion, respectively.
 10. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the lower channellike support member defines grooves receiving the edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, respectively.
 11. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the lower channellike support member has a chamfered portion extending between the edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, and the sealing means comprises a waterproof strip having a center portion in free contact with, and supported by, the chamfered portion and two lateral portions adhesively bonded to the bottom and side wall liner edges, respectively.
 12. The swimming pool of claim 1, wherein the waterproof sealing means comprises a waterproof strip overlapping adjacent edges of the bottom and sidewall liners, respectively, the strip having undercut lateral edges, and a sealing compound in the recesses defined by the undercut lateral edges.
 13. The swimming pool of claim 12, wherein the sealing compound is silicone rubber. 